"My addiction was prescription painkillers. At first, I thought it gave me energy, helped me," he tells MTV. "Being in this business is not easy. I made a mistake by picking a substance over what I previously chose, which is fitness."

Mike adds that he never had a problem with alcohol or cocaine and even says he was barely drunk on the show ... a dubious claim, but still.

"You can't get girls if you can't speak to them," Situation says.

Mike says despite some of their epic fights, the cast has all been supportive: "At the end of the day, all the kids care for each other," he says.